News

Close to my home in Central Massachusetts, a clustering of maple trees stands tall and naked against a grey winter sky. Beneath the dark and rough bark of these trees, immensely potent forces of new life are flowing. These will soon become evident as sap begins to flow from small taps jutting from the trunks into little white pales belted around the trees. We are gearing up for a season of sweet maple syrup. Continue reading…

The last few years have brought unprecedented challenges to schools, especially to our teachers and administrators. Layered over long-standing issues of low pay, long hours, helicopter parents, shared governance (and confusion over roles and authority), schools have had to navigate a third year of covid while enhancing their DEI activities and working with new financial constraints, to name but a few issues.

This is the season of light. Which is a paradoxical way to describe––at least here in the northern hemisphere––the darkest time of the year. So, what does it mean to refer to this time as the season of light?

To use an example you all will know: you enter a dark room, light a match or click the flashlight button on your phone, and suddenly the room is illuminated. The light overcomes, in other words, the darkness.

In this issue, we entertain some inspiring solutions––both in-person and online––to the deepening crisis in education. We ask: What’s wrong? What’s needed? What’s coming? Along the way, we outline some novel approaches to traditional forms of educating adults and explore new approaches to educating youth and those responsible for teaching them.

CfA’s Online Newsletter Center & Periphery Spring 2022 From the Editor’s Notepad From the Editor’s Notepad Douglas Gerwin, Ph.D. Executive Director, CfA Dear Friends, After two years of being mostly online, Center for Anthroposophy (CfA) and its affiliated Waldorf Teacher Education Program at Antioch University New England are resuming in-person classes this summer. In all, a record 11 cohorts will be meeting in Wilton, New Hampshire, on the campus of High Mowing School: Two groups for Waldorf high school teacher training Three groups for Waldorf elementary teacher education Two groups for Antioch’s advanced transdisciplinary studies in healing education One group inaugurating CfA’s Kairos Institute with a program in “Emergency Pedagogy” with Bernd Ruf One group for Waldorf administrators and leadership training One group of Antioch students launching their doctoral studies in Waldorf education One-week Renewal Courses in professional development Add to this growing line-up CfA’s Explorations program in foundational studies and its regional Building Bridges satellite program for Waldorf teacher training, both of which meet during the school year, and you have the complete palette of courses on offer this year. Each of these programs is featured below, along with news of further fresh initiatives and developments on the move at CfA. Douglas GerwinExecutive DirectorCenter for Anthroposophy Dear Friends, After two years of being mostly online, Center for Anthroposophy (CfA) and its affiliated Waldorf Teacher Education Program at Antioch University New England are resuming in-person classes this summer. In all, a record 11 cohorts will be meeting in Wilton, New Hampshire, on the campus of High Mowing School: Two groups for Waldorf high school teacher training Three groups for Waldorf elementary teacher education Two groups for Antioch’s advanced transdisciplinary studies in healing education One group inaugurating CfA’s Kairos Institute with a program in “Emergency Pedagogy” with Bernd Ruf One group for Waldorf administrators and leadership training One group of Antioch students launching their doctoral studies in Waldorf education One-week Renewal Courses in professional development Add to this growing line-up CfA’s Explorations program in foundational studies and its regional Building Bridges satellite program for Waldorf teacher training, both of which meet during the school year, and you have the complete palette of courses on offer this year. Each of these programs is featured below, along with news of further fresh initiatives and developments on the move at CfA. Douglas GerwinExecutive DirectorCenter for Anthroposophy Douglas Gerwin, Ph.D. Executive Director of CfA Back in Person! As of June 2022, all of CfA’s summer programs are scheduled once again to be held “in person” on its summertime home base in Southern New Hampshire. “Discover Your Destiny – Practice Your Passion” A new banner greets visitors to CfA’s completely redesigned website and archived resources. At the same time, fresh images and ads depicting CfA programs have appeared across print and online media. Even the CfA logo is a little different, if you look carefully. To Be a Successful High School Teacher Apart from demonstrating a firm footing in one or more subjects, a high school teacher needs to be versed in the ways of three “PC’s” in order to succeed with teenagers. Be “Inspired” and “In Community” with Renewal Courses 2022 “Inspirations!” and “Return to Community!” represent the two overarching thematic banners of this year’s Renewal Courses –– the first week online, the second week once again in person. Kairos: Healing in a World of Need through Visual and Performing Arts Starting with Bernd Ruf’s course on “Emergency Pedagogy,” CfA’s Kairos Institute is launching the first of a multi-unit training this summer intended to treat and prevent trauma through the healing modalities of the arts. Explorations Online –– and Now International Thanks to its “live” online format, CfA’s Explorations Program in foundational studies now draws participants from across five continents. Homecoming Party for CfA and Antioch Alumni CfA/Antioch Alumni Association is hosting a Homecoming and Birthday Party this summer. Waldorf Leadership Program Graduates Its First Cohort The inaugural group of CfA’s new Waldorf Leadership Development completes its year-long program with a festive celebration. Building Bridges Both East and West After a year-long hiatus, CfA resumed its “Building Bridges” program this past September with a vibrant group of faculty and staff from the Northeast Woodland School in Conway, New Hampshire. Sign up to receive our Center & Periphery Newsletter! Name First Last Email By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive information from: Center for Anthroposophy, 233 Cannongate III Nashua, NH 03063. To revoke your consent, simply click on the  SafeUnsubscribe® link.Emails are serviced by Constant Contact. CAPTCHAPhoneThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. You’ll receive the newsletter via email.

Chris’ courses at CfA were prophetic and deeply stirred the lives of participants; his introductions to countless publications at SteinerBooks were inspirational.  Apart from being himself a prolific author, Chris “commissioned” Torin Finser’s School as a Journey in 1990, wrote the introduction to Douglas Gerwin’s For the Love of Literature, and encouraged numerous other authors over decades with his confidence, vision, and unconditional generosity of spirit.    Christopher Bamford, longtime faculty member of our Renewal Courses, former editor-in-chief of SteinerBooks, and friend and colleague to many at CfA, crossed the threshold on the morning of Friday 13 May 2022.